


The light of burning feathers

by Tulum



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angels, Death, Fantasy, Female Characters, Multi, Original Character(s), Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28859799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tulum/pseuds/Tulum
Summary: Each chapter is from the POV of a different character.The chapters take place at different times but during an era of strong faith in the All Seeing and his angels. Some humans are chosen by the latest to receive a gift, and sometimes this gift is not enough to protect a life.English is not my first language.





	1. Avalana

"You have a contract girl, hurry up so I can get rid of you", I barely snorted, knowing that she was joking.

"Just give me the papers, I'll manage just fine", I didn't had to wait too long for my next contract, I was starting to make a reputation for myself, it was a bit rough at first, not being part of a guild but I was quite resourceful.

The innkeeper gave them to me not without a wink and her signature smirk, she was quite flirty today. I unsealed the documents, ready to know where I was needed.

_Greetings Miss Avalana,_

_I may have a job for you if you will. I was informed that Raphael's temple is falling at the depraved hands of thieves. Being a healing temple there's not a lot of important relics but we're getting robbed of very necessary equipments used to heal the ones in need._

_It is still manageable as of today, but we will be quickly running out of ressources if we let those criminals continue their doings._

_Money isn't a problem, you will be generously rewarded for your contribution. Your price is mine._

_You'll find these thugs near the Pond of Guellin*, they have a camp there._

_I am responsible for this temple and its people, I am humbly asking you to help us._

_Lord Elhias of the Messenger's Hold_

Well, entitled thieves, that, I can manage. I went out to fetch my mount, there was a bit of road until I could reach the grove near the pond. Looting temples was punishable by death, these were sacred places dedicated to the most important angels and archangels of the All Seeing. It was said that they were watching us, guiding us as older siblings would.

Even criminals didn't messed with the temples, you could always use a big brother in your mischief.

I crossed a few civilian villages before entering the grove. I dismounted and attached my companion to a tree. It shouldn't take long. I securely attached my quiver, it was filled with more feathers than actual arrows, but I could kill with them, I was quite crafty. My bow attached on my lower back. I was ready to go.

I walked until the end of the grove and climbed in a tree, from where I was, I could hear their throaty laughs, I was able to easily locate them. All men, six of them, this is gonna be quick.

–

A job well done. I collected a sample of blood from each of their corpses, got my arrows back and put the untouched medical supplies in a bag to return it. I traveled to the Messenger's Hold to receive my reward. The Lord was a pleasant man, a bit nosy but dedicated to the well being of his people. With the money I got I will be able to confortably live for a few months, even a year if I managed well.

After being nicely invited to dine with Lord Elhias and his proteges, I left and hastily went back to the inn. It became quite a routine, having a contract, perform the mission for a more or less long time and retreat to the inn when I was done. I had made a few ennemies along the road, my reputation quickly growing was casting shadows on those who were less skilled than I was.

Jealousy grew in the heart of those not favored by our bigger sibblings as I was granted a "gift".

–-

I lost them, where are they ? I can't hear anything, did they abandoned me ? Wasn't I good enough for them, was I too troublesome ? Was I useless like other said ?

I walked for hours, one foot after another, I couldn't hear anything, the forest was so silent, something was wrong. I hid during the night, climbing in a tree so I was not visible from the ground. Still no sound, why was the moon so bright ? It was nearly blinding, I was so tired.

I woke up, alone, hungry and thirsty, am I allowed to eat these berries ? Will I get punished ?

I decided to continue my journey, I was tired. I walked until the sun was high in the sky, I felt so hot.

Those berries again, I will eat a few, if I get scolded, so be it, I can take it.

I decided to eat two mouthfuls, it didn't tasted good, I will not eat them again.

I started to walk again for an hour when I felt lightheaded, the sun was so bright that even covered by the trees' shadows it was too much. I need to sit, just a few minutes. My eyes closed themselves, my breath slowed, I couldn't feel my limbs, my head was filled with cotton but pounded at the same time. I'm just really tired, a quick nap and I'm good to go ok ?

"Avalana, my dear"

I was finally able to hear something, such a soothing voice, was it my father ? Did he came back for me ?

"Father, forgive me, I thought you didn't wanted me anymore"

"Sweetheart, open your eyes"

I had so much troubles controlling my body, but I had a burning will to please him.

"You've done well"

"You're not Father", I was filled with so much sadness, he didn't came back for me.

"That I am not little one. Do you allow me to come to you ?"

I faintly nodded, the man approached me, his movements were so fluid I thought he was levitating.

"Are you going to punish me for eating these berries ? I am sorry"

He smiled at me, I never saw a softer expression on someone's face.

"Do not worry yourself about this. It will be our secret"

He winked at me, everything around us was so bright but he was shielding me from the harmful light.

"Do I have your permission to touch you ?"

I nodded again, I just felt so safe, like nothing in the world could hurt me if he was here, with me.

He gently put his hand on my left cheek, he looked me in the eyes, his gaze filled with the tenderness of a person who will love you forever.

"My name is Azazel, dear. I am an angel, not for too long I am afraid, but may this be my last act of kindness, I want to give you something sweetheart. Your body will never suffer from anything deadly that enters it, I know that you will need to fend for yourself, and I don't want you to be hurt along the way. Consider this the gift of your worried older brother will you ?"

I didn't really understood what he was saying. But his hand was gently stroking my cheek, I always dreamt to be the on the receiving end of such attention from my parents. I was just bathing in his pureness, soothed of my ailments.

"Will you stay with me ?" I asked. I was already tired of being alone, a child wandering in the forest.

"I am sorry but I cannot. But know that I think of you, we will see each other again, I promise."

He slided his warm hand in my tangled hair.

"A little something so you can remember that your brother will always have you in his thoughts. Farewell Avalana, do not forget that someone loves you."

He carefully placed a kiss on my forehead. I was feeling warm inside, my heart was pounding hard in my chest, I blinked once, twice, I could hear the sounds of the forest. The wind in the leaves, birds chirping, animals running after each other. I looked in front of me and Azazel was gone.

I was in full control of my body once again, and the sun seemed to shine normally, no more of this blinding light. But I felt at peace.

I started to walk again, eating whatever seemed tasty, after some time I found a stream where I stayed at for a few days, I was finally able to quench my thirst. This is where I saw them, during the second week, the person who will become my parent.

They were known to be a magician, quite powerful but not enough to become the adviser of a Lord. They were not really appreciated by the All Seeing workers, those who vowed their life to take care of a temple. But the magician didn't really cared as they later told me. They adopted me, officially I was an apprentice, but I never was talented in the mastering of the magical arts in all forms.

I picked up a few skills, I was able to greatly enhance my senses and feel living beeings around me, but it was all the extent of my magical abilities. I had an affinity for blood, as we found out after my first hunts but I still had to explore its limits.

Opal, the magician, taught me more practical skills that would help me survive if needed be.

On very few occasions, Azazel manifested to me, espacially when I accomplished something important, he would encourage me and remind me that he was guiding me. One day, he told me that he was bannished from his home with several of his brothers**. He never explained why but told me not to worry, but I was worried, his glow was fading, his warmness was slowly evaporating.

I preciously kept the feather he gave me all these years ago.

I loved him with all I was, but my poor human heart could never equal his, and I knew that his love was pure, infinite, boundless and unconditionnal. I was afraid that one day, I would pass away and never be able to feel his ethereal touch, hear his brotherly tender words of admiration. I feared that on this dreadful day, our bond would break and that he would forget about me. Because I would leave in his life the same memories as of a sparrow you saw on a tree when you were just a child, brief and surely not worth remembering.

–-

I was just one of the few chosen by angels to receive these "gifts". I was immuned to poisons, venom and anything toxic I could eat. Which was very convenient in my opinion.

Receiving a gift left a mark on your skin, each angel had different patterns on their skins, patterns that they transmitted to their human chosen. I was proud to be bound to Azazel and never felt the need to hide the marks on my chest. The All Seeing workers tended to flee me, Azazel being described as a "traitor" it put me in a bad light. I never really minded them honestly.

I heard a knock on my door and quickly got up to cautiously open it. The innkeeper was standing against the wall next to the door.

"You came back here and didn't even took the time to greet your favorite innkeeper ."

"Oh. Um, I'm sorry I guess", she was definitely flirty today.

She got her back off the wall and I was finally able to fully see her face. Her amber eyes were filled with joy and untold secrets. She had something in mind, I could see it by the way she was excitedly balancing her weight from a leg to the other.

"You know, you've been living here for a few months and we never had the occasion to learn to know about each other. I'm getting quite desperate that you'll eventually make the first move. So I'll do it. Plus I've always had a thing for girls with tatoos, it's mysterious."

Should I have seen it coming ? Am I this blind ? I was left speechless by her forwardness.

She didn't waited more than a few seconds before pushing me inside the room.


	2. Uriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 :
> 
> Set a few decades before Avalana's chapter. From Uriel's point of view, an angel of the All Seeing tasked with the delivery of prophecies.

The messenger delivers his message, as fast as he can, not minding the dangerousness of his mission nor its importance. His whole existence resides in the delivery of that message.   
I am the one tasked with carrying and announcing prophecies sent by the All Seeing himself. I do have other duties, other responsibilities and roles to play, but at the exact moment I am given a prophecy, everything else becomes unimportant.

As honored as I can be to be in such high esteem to our creator, my determination thins and crumbles each and every time I have to set foot on earth. Seeing these poor creatures, helpless, waiting for a divine hand to help them, save them from misery, agony, terror, I was able to endure it, for centuries but as time flew by, it became too much. Being near so much power and being able to use so little of it to help them was a pity.  
I took the decision to show myself to very few humans, I chose some of them to spread the words I was tasked to transmit to humanity, and picked a few others when I felt that their misery was too much to bear with the abilities they had.   
We, angels, had the possibility to select a human and offer them a gift. 

Beauty resides within peculiar things. And I was always attracted by beauty, so I took under my tutelage children unable to bloom or just to survive because they had these affinities, to elements. I helped them exploit their latent talent. Unfortunately, my ability to offer gifts was limited, one human at a time. But it happened that sometimes, two children would be born with affinities, and in that situation, I had to chose which one of them would be gifted the ability to unlock and use it and which one would get consumed to death. 

A painful choice, always.

So when I felt the life threatening to leave this meager body in this forest during one of my few visit on earth, I knew that for the next decades, I wouldn't be able to use my gift on anyone else because it would be for this child.  
The poor human was so beaten up, scratched, malnourished and fragile but if something was strong in it, it was its affinity, I could feel it clearly. Water.  
They need it, immediatly.

I took the fainted child in my arms, careful not to hurt them and moved as fast as I could to the nearest source of water. Finally arrived in front of a stream, I went on top of it and let us sink, careful to still hold the frail body. After a few seconds, the child began to move, weakly fighting my grip, so I led us on the grass where I was still hugging it.

"Do not panic small one, you do not need to fear me", I said, as calm as possible.  
"Please, don't hurt me, please"

"I will not, trust me will you ?", I could see so much things in these glassy eyes. Cruelty was ruining this land. The child was so dirty that I didn't saw that it was in fact a girl that I was holding in my arms. She nodded.

"What is your name child ?"

" Pasiphae, but people don't call me by my name, they bark orders at me instead"

"They won't anymore. I am going to give you something, something important, and thanks to this you will be free of these cruel people, you will be free to become whoever you want, to be important and powerful. I feel that you want to be more in your heart", I could feel her deepest desires, the one she burried behind fear and loneliness, behind resignation.

"I don't own anything I could give in return"

"This is a gift my dear, I do not expect anything from you.", I smiled at her confused expression.

"Do you remember how you feel when it is raining, how everything in you seems to be shaking ? I want to give you the ability to control it, to wield the rain, to do so much things you can not imagine yet. Do you give me permission to do it ?"

"I do, I want to be more", I could see sparkles in her eyes and a strong will.

So I hugged her tighter and kissed her forehead. I could feel her body temperature briefly growing, her eyes were wide opened but unseeing. I waited for the effects to pass and for her to look at me.

"Can I have your name ?", she asked.

"You can call me Uriel"

"Like the angel ? Uriel ?"

"I am the angel, small one", I let out a short breathy laugh while looking at the realization dawning on her. I was already fond of her.

–

"Uriel, brother, I think that I've already mastered it, can't I learn something new ? When will you teach me how to wield a spear like you ? I want to learn that"

"Patience Pasiphae, you are talented with a sword, but I do not want you to be good, I want you to be perfect, this is what will make a difference in battle".

"I know, I'm sorry, I'll stay focused", she said, prepared to parry my next move.

I have been training Pasiphae for a few years now, she was still young, she will forever be young to me, but she still had years before becoming old enough to enter the battlefield.  
She didn't really knew what she was getting ready for, but as the messenger, I knew and with the burden of knowing on my shoulder, I trained her, as hard as she could bear, pushing her limits. She was without a doubt, extremely talented, be it in controling her element or a physical fight. I couldn't hide how proud I was of her.

After offering her the gift, I placed her in a temple dedicated to one of my brothers, where she was well taken care of and learnt the few things that would be taught to her by the All Seeing workers. I was visiting her, often, monitoring her progress, answering as much of her questions as I could, trained her hard, and loved her even more.  
I could listen to her for hours and never get bored of it, she was clever, strong, curious and immensely kind. 

But what is a greater burden than spreading prophecies that will change the fate of mankind, is to read the name of your loved one in one of them. Her name appeared once, just once, but it was already too much. The prophecy wasn't about her, she was just a side character in the coming tragedy. It hurt even more to know so much and also so little.

"Be faster, do not hesitate. Your opponent will hesitate once, when he will see you, ready to take his life, it is your chance to end it quickly and save your energy."

"Because I'm a girl, I know", she said pouting.

"No, because you are small and non threatening, a lot of women have fought, fiercely, but you are a very very small specimen"

"Oh stop it brother, I'll show you if I'm "small and non threatening"", she laughed while charging at me, dodging a few blows, but I was able to smack her shoulders with the flat of my sword.

"Alright, you have done well today Pasiphae, a little more work and you will be ready to imagine touching me with your sword", I said while putting the sword on a nearby shelf behind the temple.

"One day, I will win one of these trainings you know, and I will be the one making fun of you, hear my words brother", she used her water control abilities to try to splatter me with the dirty water in the bucket next to her, which I deflected.

"Pasiphae, I am deeply hurt by your attempt on my life. I am forced to teach you a lesson, you know how much I hate it", I smiled and moved fast behind her to let my hand on the crown of her head, sending waves of energy, she burst in laughter immediatly.

"Stop stop, can't breathe-"

"Next time you want to dirty my clothes, be sneaky, you know how to do that", I stopped tickling her with energy so she could catch her breath.

–

I was charged with spreading less and less prophecies, meaning that the outcome was near. Every prophecies I delivered during the last century led to this, to the war. 

My champion, my little sister, my Pasiphae was to be a part of the All Seeing's grand scheme and I was pretty sure that it would result in her death. I felt deep inside of my being that we were running short of time. So I trained her harder, I wanted her to be invincible, that not a single blow would get to her. And when the war came, not a single man was able to touch her. She was fierce, fearless and she had faith in what she was fighting for.

I was forbidden from intervening, even if I had, the result would have been the same. The prophecy was fully delivered and set in the Holy Sacrificial Stone, we didn't had the power to change anything.  
I visited Pasiphae after each and every battle, worried that she got hurt. The war was long and many men and women had their life stolen by non believers, so did they by our believers.   
If one good thing fell on my chosen, it was love, she found it on the battlefield. She fought day after day at Guellin's side, the knight of the prophecy, the one who will protect its people, the true Chosen One. Mutual admiration and respect grew in their heart, and so did love.

I was immensely happy that she had the time to experience it, one of the most important feeling to humans, and for angels as well. But my heart broke in an infinity of shreds when I realized that this same love who carried her from a battlefield to the other with an ardent will to succeed, was also the one who took her from me.

Loving was a gift offered by the All Seeing to angels, so we could feel closer to humankind, and humble ourselves as we had the same weakness that could start and finish wars. But it was also a burden that we, angels, had sometimes too much trouble carrying on our celestial shoulders.

I had to respect her choice, to let her go, to not save her, because she was done, and could not spend another second on this earth. It was almost too much this time, but I loved and respected her too much to go against her will. So I watched over her in her last moments and I felt how calmly her light went out.

"I hope that he will forever love you, as much as I will, Pasiphae", a tear rolled on my cheek, falling in the pond as I carried her body to rest with her other half.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's notes
> 
> * Guellin : A brave knight who fervently fought until his last breath to defend several temples from the destruction brought by barbarians. It is well known that he was one of the most kind hearted man who ever put a foot on this land, it was written on the Holy Sacrificial Stone that Guellin would protect its people's faith from the non believers. When life was taken from him, his body sank in the pond, never to be seen again.
> 
> ** Some angels felt too restricted in their ability to help mankind. They wanted to be able to protect all humans and not just a fistful of chosen ones. They wanted to force the All Seeing to grant them the ability to bound with more humans, which was forbidden. The rule was simple and law : you cannot offer a gift to more than one human at once, you have to wait until it dies before giving a new one. The one who rebelled were thrown out of their kingdom, forced to build a new one on their own. Some decided to bring chaos by whispering in the mind of their champions, making them sinners. Some decided to keep on their task as protectors of humanity.


End file.
